I wanna know, wanna know- come and prove it.
I wanna see, wanna see you lose it.

In the days that followed, the tension in the building began to make itself known. With the results of the Exam posted and out throughout the school, it now became a matter of when the current Cease Fire would end to signal yet another Ability Testing Semester. Better known to us students simply as "War". In truth, that may as well have been what it was. My run-in with Kozumi had very quickly spread like wildfire, and her exam results in the mid-twenties only went to further fuel the suspicion that her Exam results last year had made her overconfident. Not only that, but Kozumi had blamed her loss on me, saying that she'd been forced into a two-versus-one fight and that was the reason she had lost.

Unfortunately, at the mere mention of Sakura that excuse became null and void. It was common knowledge now that she couldn't use her power- which she'd soon told me was called 'Break Point'- without someone else there to help her. Of course, that also meant she had begun to hang around me far more often, which had stirred some strange reactions out of Ichigo at the sudden body taking the formerly-empty spot to my immediate left at the lunch table. Of course, having the school's Rank Two at our side had its perks.

One of those being that it made other students too afraid to even think about making the first move against us. Granted, as a table consisting of a single-digit and two teens- those being myself and Ichigo- we had almost too much insurance. Not that it was really an issue, it was just something that other students had noticed. With so much power on our side, it seemed likely that the only way we'd come under fire is if multiple groups- also known as 'Squads'- moved against us.

And as per usual, everyone was giving Squad Four a wide berth. More so after the Exam results had once again put the almighty Shizuka Black at the top of the heap, with her compatriots Mina and Kayna taking twenty-four and twelve respectively. Albeit, nobody had any clue how Kayna Misuta managed to consistently score so highly. Though judging by the crowd of screaming, flustered females currently storming out of the girl's locker room, I could wager a fair guess. That and the blue-haired form slumped against the opposing wall with a dumb smile on his face.

"That was totally fuckin' worth it," Kayna said, wiping a stream of blood from under his nose as he staggered to his feet. He was a little taller than I was, and a junior at that. Shaggy dark blue hair, green eyes, and fangs comprised what were probably his most defining features. He caught sight of my stare, and looked over at me with a look of surprise that quickly turned into a sharp-toothed smirk as he sized me up.

"Sixteen, right?"

"Huh?" I responded dumbly, my thoughts jumbled for a moment before I processed what he was talking about. "Oh, yeah. That's me."

His gaze swept over me, and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his blue jeans as he walked over to me. "Gotta say, you don't particularly look all that strong." His tone was pensive, and I replied almost immediately with a tone of neutral disinterest.

"Neither do you." If the Cease Fire wasn't still in place, that would've been stupid to say, but he simply laughed it off.

"Yeah, I guess you've got a point there," He answered, turning his head away and scratching his chin before snapping his gaze back to me. There were slits in his formerly normal eyes, a nearly draconic gaze that made my skin crawl and my stomach churn at the sheer sight of it. I felt like prey being eyed by a predator who hadn't eaten in months. This was one of the rare occasions when I was on my own, Sakura having been tied up in dealing with one of Ichigo's sudden shopping urges. I gulped, the sound loud in my head.

Just as suddenly as they'd changed, Kayna's eyes reverted to normal. That sharp-toothed smirk seeming almost dangerous as he laughed to himself, placing his hand on my shoulder for a moment as he passed me. I watched him go, a sigh of relief leaving my body as he ascended the staircase to the higher floors behind me.

A run-in with Twelve. That didn't bode particularly well for my chances once the Cease Fire ended. He had recognized me as well, which only worried me further. Had the rumors really spread that far, and did Squad Four actually take note of things like that?

I realized after a moment that I really didn't want to know the answer to that.

"..."

Ichigo was staring at me again, and I did my best to ignore the seething look in her eyes as Sakura dolled up to me. The pink-haired girl had been becoming slowly more affectionate over the last few days, as though she was becoming more comfortable with me by her side. In all brutal honesty, I found that I was more comfortable with her around as well. Something about her made me feel… okay. It stilled that unceasing restlessness in my soul that had persisted for so long, and I found that I was happier with her around.

A new nickname had risen for her as well, one that set my head pounding far harder than her calling me "darling" ever had. It was a pounding that made me feel as though I'd forgotten something incredibly important, images and voices just beyond the scope of my grasp every time I heard those two words. I had wagered- quite accurately as I soon found out- that Kayna had been the one to start with the nickname. His penchant for referring to others by their rank was well-known, so it made sense he'd have started calling her by that name in particular.

Zero Two.

Just remembering it gave me pause, my head sending a lance of pain through my body as my breath caught and a chill raced down my spine. It sounded so familiar, and looking at her I couldn't help but feel as though it sounded right in a way that Sakura never had.

"Darling, say 'Ahh'!" Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts, the name sending that familiar pressure through my skull as I looked over at her. There was a piece of bread in her hands, absolutely drenched in honey as she offered it to me. The smile on her face was so pure, so breathtakingly beautiful.

My heart probably skipped a beat at the sight of it.

"A-Ahh~." I said, stuttering slightly in my shock as I opened my mouth. She giggled, moving the bread into my mouth. I bit down, the taste of honey flooding my senses as she pulled back. I swallowed after a few moments, giving her a smile that faded slightly as she moved towards me.

Her finger swept down the right side of my mouth, coming away with a bit of honey on it as she quickly placed it into her mouth, staring into my eyes with a smirk and a look in those mint voids that brought my thoughts to a screeching halt were they stood.

Oh.

I didn't completely know how to react, but the sight of that did things to me that I'm not completely willing to admit at the current moment. My face heated up, and I averted my gaze slightly to the right. Enough that I wasn't caught staring at Sakura, but also not so much that I'd come face to face with the fiery eyes of hell that were burning holes into the back of my head.

Speaking of the woman who'd probably flay me in a few minutes…

"Ahem. Some of us are trying to eat, and it's rather distracting with you two making a show constantly." Her tone was ice, and I winced inwardly as I turned my gaze towards Ichigo, an apologetic look on my face as I apologized. Sakura gave her a similarly disapproving look before turning back to her tray with a slight huff.

I paused as I turned back to my tray, looking back behind me just in time to catch the sight of ice blue hair flitting behind a corner.

It seems my initial assumption had been, unfortunately, correct. It did seem as though Squad Four had taken note of Sakura and I. There was only one person in the school with hair of that shade, one so icy the mere sight of it made one feel cold.

Twenty-four. Mina Sanda.

It was a strange mirror of how I'd gotten Sakura stuck in my head. Wisps of ice blue appearing at random, the occasional glimpse of dark eyes staring back at me before they vanished in a puff of powder white. Unlike with Sakura, however, it didn't bring me a sense of wonder and intrigue. Instead, all I felt were the dull daggers of dread bringing themselves up my back. Had my new partnership with Sakura really garnered me that much attention?

"Darling. What's wrong?" Sakura asked, looking over to me during one of the many free periods we had. They were usually more exciting, but for already mentioned reasons they were mostly just blank spaces right now. I'd started getting used to the headaches, which seemed to come without warning at times like these.

"Ah, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." I calmly brushed her concerns aside. She didn't need to worry about what was going on in my head right now. In fact, more importantly was…

"Though, there has been something on my mind."

"Hm?" She responded, looking over at my quizzically as she leaned against the desk to my right. I was sitting on mine, one leg kicked up as I rested my arm upon it. I nodded, looking over to her.

"I've noticed you tense slightly when someone calls you by your rank."

Another quizzical stare. "Rank?"

"Y-Y'know." I stammered. "How they call you Zero Two."

I didn't know if I was imagining it, but I could've sworn I saw the most brief expression of pain on her face a moment before my own headache flared up sharply. I cursed in pain, pressing me head against my knee as I closed my eyes.

Next thing I knew, I was staring up at a tree. White surrounded me on all sides as snow fell from the sky. I took a slow step forward, the soft crunch beneath my shoes the only sound as I walked over to the tree. I placed my hand against it slowly, my eyes widening at both the lack of chill… and the fact that when my hand made full contact, I bore witness to my skin slowly turning blue. Not like frostbite, this was like what happened when Sakura's power activated.

I sensed a presence, turning around sharply…

But when I did, the world fell away.

I caught glimpses of places as I fell. Structures towering out from snow. A girl with red skin in a room alone as I broke open her window from a nearby tree. Each image switched to another with an onset of static and splitting pain.

As though something within me were begging to be let free. A caged bird that had finally caught sight of the sky after years trapped by itself.

Suddenly, she was there with me. In a featureless place, with blank white on either side of us.

She was staring at me wide-eyed as I held my head in one hand, clutching at my skull as pain continued to scorch my being.

I heard her call for me.

I heard the worry in her voice.

The notes of urgency that were never there for someone you barely knew.

Darling.

Her Darling.

A girl with red horns and fangs.

And a boy with black hair and blue eyes, who was as unremarkable as they came.

My head was a mess, and when I next opened my eyes I was caught staring into those cyan voids of her own. There was something so beautiful about them in that moment that my breath caught, and I couldn't help but smile at her.

"Darling! Are you… are you alright?" The excitement in her voice faded slightly, and I nodded slowly before my own reply came.

"Yeah, I'm fine… do you… do you mind if I call you that as well, Sakura?"

She looked over at me, "Call me what?"

I hesitated, the pain still fresh in my mind. I took a deep breath before speaking. "Z-Zero Two."

There was a note of silence between us, and she smiled.

"I don't mind. It actually sounds better than my real name when you say it." Her reply hit the nail on the head, speaking the words I myself had been leery of voicing. The name just… fit her. It felt right, even if it was a bit weird. Then again, when one remembered who the name referred to it made even more sense.

The images kept flashing in my mind, too jumbled to properly decode or even make sense of.

Not that I had too much time to particularly think about it past the new flash of ice at the corner of my vision, and the chime of incoming announcements from overhead.

Attention Students, the announcement began. Wartime will begin in fifteen minutes.

And just like that, the fragile peace that had lasted was about to be broken.

It was time for the second year to officially begin.

Not with a whimper.

But with a bang.

A/N: Here I go, slowing down a bit while I actually start planning past this initial bit. Kayna's finally made his official appearance, and our lovely Hiro has a stalker. With the Cease Fire ending so soon, it looks like Squad 13 is in for an emergency meeting.

Thanks to everyone whose been following/favoriting/reviewing this story so far. Helps remind me that I still have something to work on before I actually start, well, working. Sorry about the probable faltering in quality this chapter. Been hella tired as of late. Should be better next go though.

Speaking of which, I hope to see you all then!